International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Beyond the Hospital Walls: Integrating Clinical Wisdom and Global Equity Into the Circular Healthcare Paradigm – A Response to Recent Commentaries

Articles in Press

Document Type : Correspondence

Authors
Sandra C. Buttigieg 1
Ana Luísa Soares 2
Bartosz Bak 3
Sonya McFadden 4
Ciara Hughes 4
Patricia McClure 4
Jose Guilherme Couto 5
Isabel Bravo 6
1 Department of Health Systems Management and Leadership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
2 Medical Physics Service, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal
3 Radiotherapy Department II, Greater Poland Cancer Center, Poznan, Poland
4 Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK
5 Radiography Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
6 Medical Physics and Radiobiology Group, Research Center (IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Keywords
Regenerative Healthcare
Clinical Sustainability
Low-Value Care
Overdiagnosis
Organizational Health Literacy (OHL)
Telemedicine

Introduction: Toward a Collective Vision for Regenerative Healthcare

 

The publication of our foundational analysis, “A Review of the Applicability of Current Green Practices in Healthcare Facilities,” has catalyzed a sophisticated dialogue that transcends operational efficiency.1 This commentary is a collective insight that fundamentally shifts our strategic focus from mere green practices, often paying lip service to the term, to a systemic regenerative ethos, thereby aligning with the Lancet Commission’s assertion that the climate crisis represents the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century.2 ...(Read more...)

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2.     World Health Organization (WHO). Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021. WHO; 2021. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/350161/9789240038349-eng.pdf?sequence=1. 
3.     Gan CCR, Kim H. Bridging environmental impact and patient outcomes: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025;14:9138. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9138
4.     Wu R, Liang Y. Ways to build a greener healthcare system: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025;14:9157. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9157
5.     Weimann E. The future of transforming healthcare systems into circular economy models: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025;14:9176. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9176
6.     Zanobini P, Lorini C, Bonaccorsi G. Rethinking hospital sustainability: circular economy and health literacy: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025;14:9297. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9297
7.     von Eiff AKS, von Eiff W. Lost in green transformation: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2025;14:9222. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9222
8.     Esmaeili A. Applying abstract text mining as a complement to PRISMA in reviewing the scope of healthcare’s circular economy: Comment on “A review of the applicability of current green practices in healthcare facilities.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2026;15:9410. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.9410
9.     Leal Filho W, Luetz JM, Thanekar UD, Dinis MA, Forrester M. Climate-friendly healthcare: reducing the impacts of the healthcare sector on the world’s climate. Sustain Sci. 2024;19(3):1103-1109. doi:10.1007/s11625-024-01487-5
10. Mir FA, Morgan L, Houghton E. Tackling overprescribing. BMJ. 2021; 375:n2539. doi:10.1136/bmj.n2539
11. Saini V, Garcia-Armesto S, Klemperer D, et al. Drivers of poor medical care. Lancet. 2017;390:178-190. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30947-3
12. Beltrán A, Parker L, Moral-Pérez I, et al. Impact of patients’ age and comorbidities on prostate cancer overdiagnosis in clinical practice. PLoS One. 2025;20(2):e0315979. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0315979
13. Bennett A, Shaver N, Vyas N, et al. Screening for breast cancer: a systematic review update to inform the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline. Syst Rev. 2024;13(1):304. doi:10.1186/s13643-024-02700-3
14. Lyng HB, Macrae C, Guise V, et al. Balancing adaptation and innovation for resilience in healthcare - a metasynthesis of narratives. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21(1):759. doi:10.1186/s12913-021-06592-0
15. Barratt A, McGain F. Overdiagnosis is increasing the carbon footprint of healthcare. BMJ. 2021;375:n2407. doi:10.1136/bmj.n2407
16. Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K. Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155(2):97-107. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005
17. Patel KB, Gonzalez BD, Turner K, et al. Estimated carbon emissions savings with shifts from in-person visits to telemedicine for patients with cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(1):e2253788. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53788
International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 20 June 2026

  • Received Date 26 May 2026
  • Revised Date 03 June 2026
  • Accepted Date 05 June 2026
  • First Published Date 20 June 2026
  • Published Date 20 June 2026